Shelby and Doug are popular examples of what appears to be a growing trend: dressed-up animals in unnatural scenarios on social media.

"People are doing more of it because of course people are spending more and more time online," said Associate Professor Pauleen Bennett, the head of La Trobe University's Department of Psychology and Counselling

"Pets are much more part of the family now, so instead of dressing up our kids we're dressing up our pets."

But the RSPCA warned that while taking pictures of animals in their natural state is fine, dressing them up and forcing them into unnatural scenarios can be problematic, to the point where the animal welfare charity has been prompted to develop guidelines on how to do it safely.

"Posting a picture of your cat and dog dressed up or with makeup on, for a lot of people that might seem really quite funny or cute," RSPCA Scientific Officer Bronwyn Orr said.

"But it obviously goes completely against the dignity of the animal and their natural needs and instincts."

Searching for connection

For the most part, pet owners aren't intentionally trying to make their animal uncomfortable.

Most people are simply searching for connection online, and using their pets to help.

"It feels warm and fuzzy to know that people are laughing at the same things you're laughing at, that they think your pet is cute," said Dr Bennett.

"We want to be heard, we want people to know that we exist. We want to be part of a community."

"Australia is definitely a pet loving country. We have quite high rates of pet ownership compared to many countries, " Ms Orr said.

'A dog is a dog, a cat is a cat'

The RSPCA says people posting, and people following, pets on social media need to be more mindful of what animals want.

"The reason it's become so popular is that a lot of people have real difficulty actually reading the body language from their animals and knowing when exactly they are distressed."

Signs of distress in an animal will vary between species.

Ms Orr says a dog may show signs of being uncomfortable or distressed by pulling its ears and face back tightly, giving you "whale eyes" — showing the whites of their eyes in the far corner — or they'll tuck their tail between their legs.

An unhappy cat may rapidly and aggressively flick its tail.

"We have to keep in mind … a dog is a dog, a cat is a cat, we have to respect that," Ms Orr said.

"They probably really don't enjoy costumes a lot of the time."

While dogs are more lenient than cats, Ms Orr doesn't recommend putting a costume on a dog if it appears unhappy, or leaving it on for a long time, as the animal may overheat or become tangled. A less obtrusive garment like a bandana may be okay, however.

New guidelines

The RSPCA is not only urging individuals to be more mindful, but also businesses advertising with animals.

The animal welfare group recently received complaints about an insurance company after it unknowingly used an unwell kitten in an advertisement.

The rising use of animals on social media by businesses and individuals has prompted the RSPCA to develop guidelines on how to treat pets in these scenarios.

Bronwyn Orr said the guidelines will be released soon and will be available on the internet.

"Essentially, what they are going to be is just advice for people in the media, as well as people who are using animals in social media and promotion, on how to portray animals appropriately and to not put them in situations where they are uncomfortable," Ms Orr said.

Responsibility also lies with those who are following the social media accounts of animals that are dressed up and put in unnatural scenarios, according to Associate Professor Pauleen Bennett.

"We are conscious of jokes that used to be funny but now are inappropriate. (It's the) same with our animals. We should be feeding back to the people who have them, what is and is not acceptable according to our own ethical standards," Dr Bennett said.

"No animal should be put in danger or made uncomfortable for the sake of a giggle or a cute photograph."

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